The Chemical Basis of Life II: Organic Molecules

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from Chapter 3 on organic molecules in biology, focusing on carbon atoms, macromolecules, functional groups, and the classes of organic molecules essential for life.

Carbon Atom

The basic building block of organic molecules, containing four electrons in its outer shell.

Organic Molecules

Molecules that contain carbon and are abundant in living organisms.

Functional Group

A group of atoms within a molecule that has a specific chemical behavior regardless of the other atoms in the molecule.

Macromolecule

Large, complex organic molecules, formed by linking monomers together.

Dehydration Reaction

A chemical reaction that forms a polymer by removing a water molecule during the bonding of monomers.

Hydrolysis Reaction

A chemical reaction that breaks down a polymer by adding a water molecule, resulting in the release of monomers.

Monosaccharide

The simplest form of carbohydrates, consisting of one sugar unit.

Disaccharide

A carbohydrate composed of two monosaccharides joined by a glycosidic bond.

Polysaccharide

Carbohydrates that are made up of long chains of monosaccharide units linked by glycosidic bonds.

Lipid

A diverse group of hydrophobic molecules that are predominantly made of hydrogen and carbon.

Triglyceride

A type of fat formed by bonding glycerol to three fatty acids.

Saturated Fatty Acids

Fatty acids that contain no double bonds between the carbon atoms and are typically solid at room temperature.

Unsaturated Fatty Acids

Fatty acids that contain one or more double bonds and are generally liquid at room temperature.

Steroid

A type of lipid composed of four interconnected carbon rings, such as cholesterol.

Amino Acid

The building blocks of proteins, each containing an amino group, a carboxyl group, and a side chain.

Peptide Bond

The bond formed between the amino group of one amino acid and the carboxyl group of another.

Protein Structure Levels

proteins exhibit four levels of structure: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary.

Nucleotide

The monomer of nucleic acids, consisting of a phosphate group, a five-carbon sugar, and a nitrogenous base.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid, a double-stranded molecule that stores genetic information.

RNA

Ribonucleic acid, a single-stranded molecule involved in protein synthesis and gene expression.